'Clothing Collaboration': Entrepreneur and Artists bounce back from pandemic with joint project
NYC Stylz is a fixture on Richmond Row in London, Ont. but COVID-19 has taken its toll on long-time owner Dave McCallum.
Since the pandemic began, he's been forced to close his shop for five months, had a rash of break-ins, and even had to board up his store.
"I went back to selling out of my vehicle and delivering clothes out of my car like the old days," said McCallum, who has owned the business for 20 years.
While his doors were closed, a recommendation by Downtown London's Kathy McLaughlin led him to local artist Brad Biederman. Biederman painted a mural on the outside NYC Stylz, which started a trend of other boarded up facades turning into murals.Brad Biederman painted a mural in 2020 on the exterior of NYC Stylz in London, Ont. while the store was boarded up during the pandemic. (Brent Lale / CTV News)A year later, that collaboration has morphed into a partnership.
"It's like the artist meets the entrepreneur type thing and we can work together," said. McCallum, who has since purchased eight designs from Biederman and one from Fanshawe student Sarah Wing, and put them on t-shirts at his shop.
"This is a great way for me to promote my own illustrations as I don't really have any physical places to put my art right now," said Wing, a third-year graphic design student. "So this is the only place I can do it right now, other than on Instagram so this is great for me."London Artist Sarah Wing, shows off her design on a tee-shirt at NYC Stylz in London, Ont. (Brent Lale / CTV News)Biederman has mural artwork throughout London, but calls this “an honour,” adding, "This is a little embarrassing, but I have driven by the building just to see my shirt on a mannequin through the window, at least once or twice," said Biederman, whose Instagram handle is @wiingillustration.
The partnership is off to a great start, with shirts selling across Canada and orders coming from as far as Bermuda and Jamaica.
With a hip-hop and streetwear vibe, McCallum even had Biederman customize the interior walls of his shop.
"We wanted to brighten it up and we picked the right colors and the right teams and I let Brad basically do what he wanted on the inside of the shop," said McCallum. "I liked his initial design, and said 'let's go do it.”London Artist Brad Biederman, stands in front of one of the tee-shirts with his design on it at NYC Stylz in London, Ont. (Brent Lale / CTV News)During the pandemic, many freelance artists have been on opposite ends of the spectrum. Either they have no work, or more than they ever have.
"Myself, I've gotten more work," said Biederman. "More people have been interested in my prints, but on the flip side of that, being able to go out and find walls for graffiti has been a little tougher. I'm not very comfortable going into businesses and cold calling, so getting that type of work has been on the downswing for me."
Through tough times, the new collaboration has given a renewed hope after 20 years in business.
"It's actually given me a little bit of a spark because it made me feel like when I first opened the shop," said McCallum.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.